Great Vowel Shift

Pronunciation change in English between 1350 and 1700 History and description ofEnglish pronunciation Historical stages Old English Middle English General development In Old English In Scots Development of vowels A Close back Close front Diphthongs Great Vowel Shift Open back Pre-L Pre-R Development of consonants Single consonants Clusters Variable features Cot–caught merger Drawl Flapping Flat A H-dropping L-vocalization NG R Rhoticity T-glottalization TH WH Related topics History of English Spelling vte Diagram of the changes in English vowels during the Great Vowel Shift The Great Vowel Shift was a series of pronunciation changes in the vowels of the English language that took place primarily between 1400 and 1700 (the 15th century forming the transition period from Middle English to Early Modern English), beginning in southern England and having influenced effectively all dialects of English today. Through this extensive vowel shift, the pronunciation of all Middle English long vowels altered. Some consonant sounds also changed, specifically becoming silent; the term Great Vowel Shift is occasionally used to include these consonantal changes. The standardization of English sp